As the writer Martin Bradley unwittingly discovers, there is nothing quite like uprooting yourself from your home of fifty-four years in suburban, temperate England and transplanting yourself into rural, equatorial Malaysia. Bradley attempts to make a new life for himself in provincial Malaysia, living with poisonous snakes, chicken-killing civet cats, and water buffalo intent on chomping his delicate mango shoots and trampling the saplings he has nurtured for many weeks. The idyll he hopes to find is far from idyllic, his stoicism far from stoic and his temper far from temperate. Follow the hapless author as he undertakes a personal seven-year journey into a new religion that he is not suited to, a love affair which should never have been and a culture that requires the patience of the saint he is not. It is a humorous seven-year battle with country living, country people and the whole concept of a rural retreat from which, in the end, he must retreat.
The Dharma Flower Sutra (Lotus Sutra) Seen through the Oral Transmission of Nichiren Daishōnin, translated and interpreted by Martin Bradley: "What is being attempted here is a close study of what it was that made Nichiren realise that the salvation of humankind is to be found within the text of the Dharma Flower or Lotus Sutra. Only at extremely sparse intervals in the course of history have there been a few individuals who have really comprehended what existence is all about. "The message is to devote our lives to and found them on the dimension where existence occurs whose interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect pervades the entirety of existence and is Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō in Japanese. It is the recitation of the title and subject matter of the Dharma Flower Sutra that makes us realise that the meaning of existence is here and now in each and every moment of our lives and that the white lotus flower-like mechanism is the totality of all the possible reaches of our minds." Martin Bradley
Most of the poems and lyrics contained in this book, I believe, are words every person should live by. Everyone knows that cheating on your wife is bad. Everyone has sinned, and thinks they can get away with it. We see too much poverty all over the world, and yet do nothing about. We see wars come and go, and sympathize with those left behind, and grieve for the ones no longer with us. We see a child smile, and then suddenly realize that it has brightened up our entire day and we are ready to face the world. We've also looked into the face of our own mortality, and wondered about God. Most of the poems are of a serious nature, and one, or two, might be humorous...but they all are very poignant, and have deep profound meaning. I challenge any one of you to not be moved by at least one of the poems in this book. Whether moved to tears or moved to laughter, my deepest hope is that this book sparks something.
Superheroes and villains do battle over the human heart in this delightful anthology featuring all-new stories from a wide range of contributors, all set in the Wild Cards universe, where an alien virus mutates some and grants superpowers to others, created by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones. An alien virus ravages the world, its results as random as a hand of cards. Those infected either draw the black queen and die, draw an ace and receive superpowers, or draw the joker and are bizarrely mutated. Nevertheless, human nature reigns supreme. And one of the most enduring human drives is the search for love. Aces and jokers alike both want to find it, or have lost it . . . or perhaps just want to use it for personal gain. Crazy, unconventional, touching, strange, and oh-so-familiar, this is love, Wild Cards-style. Within these stories: • A jewel thief seduces a popular actor just so she can track down a long-lost treasure. • A teenager trapped in the body of a giant snail attempts to win his love à la Cyrano de Bergerac. • A man discovers his purpose in life after meeting a beautiful butterfly woman. • A young hero who has been awarded the hideous name of Hero McHeroface finds some solace in the arms of an astrologer hiding her own unique powers. Pairing Up is the Wild Cards take on love—finding it, seeking it, losing it, or achieving it—as aces and jokers enter into the highest-stake game of all: gambling on their heart's desire. With stories by Kevin Andrew Murphy • Christopher Rowe • Marko Kloos • Melinda M. Snodgrass • Bradley Denton • Walton Simons • Peter Newman • Gwenda Bond • David Anthony Durham • Edited by George R. R. Martin
From inheritances and divorce and insurance settlements to retirement payouts and the most recent phenomenon of stock options, the largest transfer of wealth in the history of America is now taking place. For some, this welcome event is relatively stress-free. But for those who are inexperienced in dealing with large sums of money, a windfall can be an overwhelming, even losing, situation. What is the difference between those who build on their financial gains and those who end up worse off than before? In this much-needed, one-of-a-kind book, top financial planner Susan Bradley gets to the heart of the matter by examining the emotional complexity of the windfall experience and how to manage it-and your newfound money-successfully. Whatever the sum involved, the impact of one's emotional state on the way money is handled--or mishandled--cannot be underestimated. In addition to the legal intricacies of receiving sudden money, the element of surprise that catches people unprepared also often leaves them there. Here, at last, is a type of "owner's manual" to sudden money that demystifies the process for recipients and their financial planners. Based on her work with countless clients, many of whose stories appear in this book, Bradley has developed a step-by-step program for moving safely through the three phases of building a solid financial foundation: Preparation and Planning Investing Monitoring, Giving, and Sharing Giving individual attention to each possible windfall event, Bradley addresses their distinct tax consequences, insurance and estate planning considerations, as well as the crucial emotional component. She also shares advice on how to put together the proper team of advisors, including an attorney and a therapist. When correctly handled, an unexpected windfall can provide expected benefits that will continue far beyond the lifetime of the initial recipient---and turn sudden money into lasting wealth. Turn Sudden Money into Lasting Wealth Maximize your wealth and minimize your stress and confusion with this unique, indispensable guide to handling a sudden financial windfall. Written by nationally recognized financial planner Susan Bradley, Sudden Money provides a complete program for successfully managing newfound wealth. Discover ways to: Stay calm and not make decisions based on your emotions Seek experienced, professional advice Avoid pressure from others Create and execute the best financial plan for you Most important, Sudden Money provides you with easy-to-implement, proven ways to ensure that your financial gains are more than fleeting good fortune. "A 'must read' for financial advisors and for clients who have received financial windfalls. Susan Bradley has detailed--in an easy-to-apply way--a new financial planning discipline that is sure to become a vital part of discussions about the burgeoning wealth in this country." —Ronni Burns, Wall Street consultant "This book is essential for anyone who receives a financial windfall. It's an easy read and packed with useful advice." —Don Phillips, CEO, Morningstar "Reading this book is like having a trusted friend explain what to expect, what to do, and what not to do at a happy time that can also be overwhelming and stressful. This book has been extraordinarily helpful to me." —Marci Shimoff, coauthor, Chicken Soup for the Soul "Women in particular are often ill prepared to manage a financial windfall. Without careful planning, it could turn into a pitfall. Susan Bradley's book is a sensible guide on how to handle instant wealth." —Jennifer Openshaw, CEO, WFN.com, Financial Network for Women
Tina Miles woke up on the eve of herthirteenth birthday vowing this wasgoing to be a day she would neverforget; she got more than shebargained for. The one thing Tina really wanted was aride on a roller coaster at the carnival thatjust pulled into town. She got the ride ofher life when she met up with a boy whoseemed very sweet but turned out to bevery sour. Tina then meets up with abad fortune teller who seemed to know anawful lot more than she was saying, andthatâs where the catastrophe begins.Along the way we learn of an absentee fatherwho has more of an affinity for the ladiesthan he has a love of being called dad. Wealso learn how past mistakes can reach outand suddenly turn a very blessed occasioninto something tragic.The end of this story is a matter ofdeathand life.
The poems that are written in this book cover a myriad of subjects and emotions. Some of the subjects covered are very lighthearted, others might make you want to cry. Some poems are humerous, while others have a brash, "go for the throat" quality. A few of the poems have a dark brooding edge to them, while others are full of hope and joy. All of these poems will take you on a journey into your own soul, a trip we all should take once in awhile.
Colleges and universities are under pressure from the government, students, and parents to make higher education more efficient and cost-effective. Based on Southern New Hampshire University's highly successful competency-based three-year bachelors degree program—the longest running in the country—this book provides a blueprint for creating, sustaining, and growing such a program at an institution of any type and size. The book offers a proven model that not only cuts student costs by 25%, but significantly reduces program delivery costs. The 120-credit six-semester competency-based integrated curriculum approach focuses on student learning as opposed to “seat-time,” and research shows above average academic student success.
The Wild Cards universe has been thrilling readers for over 25 years, and "The Flight of Morpho Girl" conjures up an adventurous new tale from the imaginations of acclaimed sci-fi writers Caroline Spector and Bradley Denton. Adesina, known as "Morpho Girl," is used to handling the weird that is her everyday, but life has dealt her a tricky new hand. First, her mom, the crimefighter Amazing Bubbles, has been off since her last mission. Second, Adesina recently aged from ten to sixteen, making everyone think she's even weirder than she already is. On top of everything else, her best friend goes missing. What's a newly-teenaged joker need to do to catch a break? At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
With growing consumer awareness about the dangers of garden chemicals, turn to The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control as the most reliable and comprehensive guide on the garden shelf. Rodale has been the category leader in organic methods for decades, and this thoroughly updated edition features the latest science-based recommendations for battling garden problems. With all-new photos of common and recently introduced pests and plant diseases, you can quickly identify whether you've discovered garden friend or foe and what action, if any, you should take. No other reference includes a wider range of methods for growing and maintaining an organic garden. The plant-by-plant guide features symptoms and solutions for 200 popular plants, including flowers, vegetables, trees, shrubs, and fruits. The insect-and-disease encyclopedia includes a photo identification guide and detailed descriptions of damage readers may see. The extensive coverage of the most up-to-date organic control techniques and products, presented in order of lowest impact to most intensive intervention, makes it easy to choose the best control.
Beat the odds with a bold strategy from McKinsey & Company "Every once in a while, a genuinely fresh approach to business strategy appears" —legendary business professor Richard Rumelt, UCLA McKinsey & Company's newest, most definitive, and most irreverent book on strategy—which thousands of executives are already using—is a must-read for all C-suite executives looking to create winning corporate strategies. Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick is spearheading an empirical revolution in the field of strategy. Based on an extensive analysis of the key factors that drove the long-term performance of thousands of global companies, the book offers a ground-breaking formula that enables you to objectively assess your strategy's real odds of future success. "This book is fundamental. The principles laid out here, with compelling data, are a great way around the social pitfalls in strategy development." —Frans Van Houten, CEO, Royal Philips N.V. The authors have discovered that over a 10-year period, just 1 in 12 companies manage to jump from the middle tier of corporate performance—where 60% of companies reside, making very little economic profit—to the top quintile where 90% of global economic profit is made. This movement does not happen by magic—it depends on your company's current position, the trends it faces, and the big moves you make to give it the strongest chance of vaulting over the competition. This is not another strategy framework. Rather, Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick shows, through empirical analysis and the experiences of dozens of companies that have successfully made multiple big moves, that to dramatically improve performance, you have to overcome incrementalism and corporate inertia. "A different kind of book—I couldn't put it down. Inspiring new insights on the facts of what it takes to move a company's performance, combined with practical advice on how to deal with real-life dynamics in management teams." —Jane Fraser, CEO, Citigroup Latin America
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